September is more than just the first full month of the new school year. It's also an important month for several standardized test applications deadlines. If you are a junior, you should make sure this month to see English teacher Ms. Gonzalez in Room 230C anytime except 3rd period to pick up the registration information for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

This test will only be offered once this year, on Tuesday, October 21, 2003. It is the only test you can take to be eligible to receive one of 8,000 Merit Scholarship awards, such as the $2,500 National Merit Scholarship. Your PSAT scores will not be seen by colleges and therefore do not impact the college admission process.

Essentially, the PSAT is a practice SAT. The PSAT has five sections: two Verbal, two Math, and one Writing Skills. The Verbal and Math sections contain the same kinds of questions as the SAT. The questions on the Writing Skills section are very similar to the multiple-choice questions on the SAT II Subject Test in Writing. These questions include identifying sentence errors, and improving sentences and paragraphs

It is a good idea to take the PSAT in the fall of sophomore year. This gives you more flexibility to gauge your preparedness for the SAT, and allows more time to take SAT II's, the ACT, or the SAT one or more times. So, if you are a BEAM sophomore, you should also see Ms. Stevens about taking the PSAT this year.

Here are some other important dates on the standardized test calendars this month:
September 9, 2003 - Regular Deadline to register for the SAT or SAT II on October 11, 2003 (you can't take both on the same day)
September 13, 2003 - Late Deadline for SAT and SAT II on October 11, 2003
September 19, 2003 - Regular Deadline for the ACT on October 25, 2003
September 26, 2003 - Regular Deadline for SAT and SAT II on November 1, 2003
October 3, 2003 - Late Deadline for ACT on October 25, 2003

As you can see, the tests themselves don't occur in September, just the deadlines to register. There will be more as the year goes on.

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Last modified: November 01, 2003